Spicy Carrot-ginger Soup

Total Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium leek, trimmed, cut in half lengthwise then into 1/4-inch-thick half-moons, and thoroughly rinsed ( and pale green parts only)
• 1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 celery ribs, coarsely chopped
• 5 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
• kosher salt
• one 2-inch piece fresh ginger, cut in half lengthwise, then cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 1 jalapeno chile, stemmed, cut in half lengthwise, and seeded
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili pepper flakes
• 1 quart vegetable stock or 1 quart chicken stock or 1 quart store-bought unsalted broth
• 2 cups coconut water
• 1 high-quality lemon-ginger tea bag, paper tag removed
• 2/3 cup silken tofu
• 2/3 cup light coconut milk
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup unsweetened flaked coconut, toasted

Recipe

• 1 heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. add 1 tablespoon oil and heat until it dimples and squiggles. add the leek, onion, and celery and stir until well coated with the oil. add the carrots and 3/4 teaspoon salt. cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is just translucent but not soft, about 5 minutes.
• 2 add the ginger, jalapeno, garlic, and chile flakes. cook, stirring, until the vegetables are caramelized, about 4 minutes. you really want to bring out the brown richness of the veggies here.
• 3 stir in the stock and coconut water. bring to a boil, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, and add the tea bag. simmer until the carrots can be mashed easily with a wooden spoon, about 30 minutes.
• 4 remove and discard the tea bag. stir in the tofu and coconut milk. using an immersion blender or stand blender (working in batches if necessary), puree until very smooth. strain through a fine-mesh sieve. season to taste with salt and pepper.
• 5 reheat to serve the soup hot or chill it to serve cold. garnish with coconut flakes just before serving.